I know some folks whose family trees look very neat and tidy, with the names and vitals of only those folks who are their ancestors. I think perhaps they are more interested in pedigree than family history.

You couldn't fit all the people in my family tree on a neat and tidy chart, because I research the collateral lines also.

I care about the lives and times of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and the greats and grands before them.

I also care about the ones they married - the ones to whom I am not related by blood, but whose lives are inextricably interwoven into my family history.

Sometimes I get ragged on about that - from friends as well as family members.

So it was a little gratifying tonight to see why those collateral lines, and the spouses of the people represented by them, are important.I opened my email and found my monthly Callaway Family Association e-newsletter.

I always look forward to this one. My great-grandmother was a Clark County Callaway, descended from the line of Peter I, who came to this country as an immigrant soon after his birth in 1640. His family settled in Somerset County MD when Maryland was still a colony.

As there usually is in each newsletter, there was a "mystery" Callaway for readers to chew on, to see if we could get a definitive identification.

Only as I read the letters to Cicero Marion Callaway, written in April and May of 1849 from the journey to the fields of the gold rush, I didn't have the same reaction as the newsletter writer.

The letters are real gems - very newsy and chatty - and are signed, "Rueben Son."

CM and Louisa Callaway had a son named Rueben all right - but he was born in 1850, and may not even have been a gleam in CM's eye at the time the letters were written.

So I sent an email to the newsletter writer, asking:Could the Reuben who wrote to Cicero Callaway about the gold rush have been the brother of CM's wife, Louisa (Son) Callaway?

I got a very prompt reply.Hi Dee,I think he was signing it meaning "your son, Reuben". At least that's what it seems like to me.

And to that, I replied:Okay, I just thought since Louisa had a brother named Rueben who was born in 1826, it was most likely him.

And I still do.

ETA: This evening (9/2), I received an email from the CFA newsletter writer saying she had contacted the Callaway descendant who donated the letters to the University of Mississippi. He confirmed that Rueben Son, who authored the letters to CM Callaway, was the brother of CM's wife, Louisa.

My research has shown that Rueben Son did go to the California gold mines as he told his brother-in-law he would in the 1849 letters. In the 1850 census, he was in a gold mining camp in Placerville, El Dorado Co., CA.

Various family trees say that Reuben Son died in Shasta, Shasta Co., CA two days after Christmas in 1857, at the age of 31.

no subject

I have no idea if she will come to the same conclusion or not. I've had no follow-up from her after my last reply last night.

And the letters are very cool. Phonetic spelling and all.

Here's the transcription:

State of Misoury, indepencence Jackson Coto C. M. Callawaythis the 3rd day of aprile 1849

I favor this oppirtunity of dropping you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and hopeing that these few lines may find you all well. Our company is all in good health at present and in high spirits. We are now in campt about two miles from town and arrived at memphis on the tenth of March and left there bound for St. Lewis on the stemer mameduke and arrived at St. Lewis on the 25th of March and left on the 26th of March on the stemer St. ange bound for independence. we arrived at independence on the 30th of March and on the third of March Some time in the knight Mr. hooper was taken with the Collerry, and by twelve Oclock next day he was ded. we was at that time encampt down at the river. we are now encampt about two miles South of town and about four or five Miles from the river at a verry healthy place. I donot think that we will bee here more than ten days. it dependes on the grass. I have not adobt but what we will in two years returnes if we leave with just as much gold as we want. there is two or three men went from this place and have writen back that they are getting rich verry fast. one of the men Sold his waggon and three yoke of oxen for $1000 and was offered twelve hundred dollars for another but refused. this man I sopose can bee relyde uppon he says that there was two men got forty lbs in one day out of one hold. I soppose that the California gold is as good as it is presented. No kind of doubt about it.

to C. M Callawyby Reuben Son

State of Missoury Jackson Countythis May the 2th 1849

to C. M. CallawayI favor this oppertunity of informing you that I am well at present. I have nothing of importance to write you. Wee have the measels in our camps. They are all getting well. I had them but I have got as stout as ever. I was taken in a day or two. After I wrote my other letter to you when I wrote to you before we were incampt in about two miles from town. We have since moved about ten miles from town. I think our next move will bee for Calafor-nia. We will get off next Monday or Tuesday. We have ten waggons and thirty eight yokes of oxen. We will get two more yoke and have four yoke to the waggon. Our oxen cost from forty to fifty dollars a yoke. Hillary received a letter yesterday that there was stateing snow there on the fifteenth and frost on the sixteenth of aprile. We had snow on the thirteenth and yeasterday we had ice aplenty and to day is a prety warm day. We have had some verry coald days. We get no news from Calafornia but what is verry encourageing there are some men went from this state and have writen back to there friends to come. They say there is goald enough for all that will come and there is a great menny agoing. There are men from all parts of the world. All mostly agoing here are a great many agaoing from this place. We can get a much company as we want and I am a fraid the greatest difuculty that there will bee to many. I would not take nothing les than fifty thousand dollars for my chance. I expect this will be the laste time I will write to you untill I get to Calafornia. I will write to you as soon as I get there and let you know where to direct your leters and then I want you to rite to me and let mee know how matters and things are. I think by the time we get there wee can get news every month. You must excuse my bad spelling for there is such a noise and talking to me I hardly now what I am writing. With this remarks I will close.Reuben Son